Recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Coffee cake muffin with pecans and cashews.

Roasted chicken sauteed in olive oil with onion, celery, and red bell pepper. Stir in Dijon mustard and fresh herbs. Season and serve crostini-style.

Roasted red peppers and olive oil on chèvre pesto.

Napoli salumi (Olli Salumeria, VA), red and green bell peppers, and chèvre.

Cannellini beans, kale, and red pepper cooked in bacon fat and olive oil (same method as Tuscan Beans).

Radishes from the Blacksburg farmer's market served with butter and salt.

Roasted red peppers and onions on the grill.

Grilled pizza of roasted red peppers, onions, Olli Napoli Salume, Pecorino Romano, fresh basil and parsley. Dough recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook.

Paired with a 2010 Rosso Piceno.

Bok choy stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and Anaheim chili pepper.

Udon noodles tossed with toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, tamari, and chili sauce are fried in peanut oil.

Fried noodle bowl.

Paired with Gabriele Rausse Chardonnay.

This is what I do with late season tomatoes, when they've started to lose optimal flavor and texture. 225F oven for approximately 3 hours, depending on size. Salt and pepper optional.

Roasted tomatoes will keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for several days.

One of many versions of Tuscan beans, comprised of Cannellini beans simmered with Italian sausage (Shadowcase Farm, Giles Co.), roasted tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, sage, and therapeutic amounts of olive oil.

Paired with 2007 Barbaresco.

Perfect with bifteck haché à la Julia Child.